If you want to keep receiving good job references you need to stay in touch with your former employers. Follow these reference etiquette guidelines and you should receive good job references for a long time. First rule of job reference etiquette: call your former employers periodically and update them on your career, asking them to continue being a job reference for you. Make sure you thank your former employers for their time. Next rule of reference etiquette: as you move further up the career ladder in your profession or achieve new educational goals, make sure your good job references stay abreast of your success. As you progress, former employers are more inclined to see you in a positive light and be your good job reference. Last rule of reference etiquette: acknowledge your good job references with a personal thank you letter or email; offer to take former employers to lunch or dinner; or send some of your former employers a thoughtful gift.